New Whole Foods Market in Melrose MA

When I received my receipt from my last purchase at the local Whole Foods Market, there was also an attached coupon for $10 off $50 purchase at one of two new Whole Foods Massachusetts stores (Melrose and Weymouth).

Of course I wanted to check out the closest one in Melrose, so I planned a shopping trip on Friday, which was also their one-day sale for Alaskan Coho salmon ($10/lb).

I knew the Melrose location was previously a Johnnie’s Foodmaster store, so I wasn’t sure how large the store would be, in comparison to other stores. As I suspected, it is smaller, and crowded, especially when trying to navigate a shopping cart in the produce area, during lunchtime on a Friday.

If the produce area wasn’t cramped enough, the “bulk” section is also situated in the same isle, which makes it very difficult to get near with a cart; same with the salad/food bar on the other side of the store. But I was patient, and just went with the flow.

The employees (or team members) were extremely nice, which made up for the lack of space. I had a lovely conversation with the man behind the fish counter about salmon pin bones, and the woman who helped me with my probiotics return/refund was very cheery.

I was disappointed though, when I arrived at check-out and the cashier gave me a little bit of attitude. I always put my poultry and meat purchases in one particular re-usable shopping bag, and I’ve never had any issues at the stores when I leave the meat inside the bag. The cashiers (even newbie ones) usually understand the process and scan each item from the bag then pack them back into my bag afterward.

Well this particular cashier proceeded to unpack all my poultry items onto the belt, coming inches close to my produce. I became annoyed, and told her that I didn’t want the meat touching/contaminating my other items, to which she rudely proclaimed that my fish was already touching the items (as if it was MY fault), and I told her it wasn’t the same as poultry, and that I wasn’t worried about the fish. I never raised my voice, and I didn’t take the issue further, but I could tell that she was not happy with me as she scanned the rest of my items.

If she just left my poultry in the bag, she could have easily scanned each piece and simply re-packed, like the dozens of other cashiers have done. But instead she was rude.

I’m not out to get her into trouble, and I am not one of those entitled shoppers that think customer service workers need to kiss up to me. (In fact, I really hate that!) But in this case, a little bit of the “customer-is-always-right” should have come into play.

I spend a lot of money on my groceries, and I choose specific items (especially perishable produce) very carefully, so I expect the food to arrive into my home in the same condition that I chose it. (Not covered in poultry bacteria.)

She should have seen that the situation upset me, and immediately tried to make it right, instead she tried to prove me wrong. It was something I rarely ever encounter at Whole Foods Market. They do a remarkable job at defusing any customer issues before they escalate.

But all in all, the experience was positive at this new store and I was thrilled to use my $10 off coupon!

It makes me happy that the Melrose area now has a Whole Foods, as it’ll be a benefit to the community. It was also wonderful to see local produce being sold there, but at the same time, I would rather consumers support their local farmers directly at a farmstand or farmers market.

But if shopping at Whole Foods is the first step in getting people to consciously eat more local produce, then that is what matters. The next natural step will then be seeking out a farmers market or buying into a CSA.

Healthy Food Budget June, July 2013 {{MOVED}}

My detailed weekly posts for the healthy food budget have moved to a new area.

I thought that it would be more organized to keep most of the budget posts in one separate area instead of getting them all mixed up with my regular blog posts. I know most visitors aren’t interested in my spending details, and truthfully, I am really budget blogging for myself, to keep a record I can refer to if needed.

So, detailed budget posts are found at http://www.thatsjustme.com/budget/, but I’ll continue to post quick monthly updates here as well.

I copied all older posts to the new blog, and eventually I’d like to remove the originals from here, and set up URL redirects, but that will take a lot of time, and it might not even be necessary. In the meantime, there will be two copies of older posts.

So, here’s my monthly update for two months

June 2013: $401.72

Dining Out: Total $23.57
Gardening: Total $16.39
Groceries: Total $361.76

Great month. Considering I started my cleanse/detox/elimination diet mid-month, I did very well. But truthfully, the real reason I made my budget was because we didn’t go out to eat but once all month. The bulk of the spending was groceries.

Groceries: $361.76
Trader Joe’s 119.58 (32%)
Whole Foods 99.81 (27%)
Wilson Farm 48.65 (13%)
MARKET BASKET 45.34 (12%)
Open Meadow Farm 37.41 (10%)
Wilmington Farmers Market 14.25 (4%)
Hannaford 2.50 (1%)
Food Pantry donation credit ($5.78)

July 2013: $475.43

Dining Out: Total $116.20
Groceries: Total $359.23

Boy did July kick my budgeting butt! Yikes. I didn’t just go over, I was ran over by a bulldozer!

Two changes came in July though. A lot more meat consumption. I’m still experimenting with my diet, but I drastically reduced legumes and grains, especially wheat and gluten, along with dairy and eggs. It’s been very difficult since I was such a proponent of a plant-based diet with only occasional meat consumption. My go-to meals were fried eggs, bread pizza and pasta with tomato sauce. Working with an elimination diet, I had to increase meat and lower the carbs. I’m still not ready to blog about the details yet, but hopefully soon. It’s been a long overwhelming life-changeing haul, but I’m getting closer to answers.

The second change to my budget was removal of supplements and vitamins. These really were a necessity and wasn’t something I could control as easily as groceries, so I moved them to a separate budget expense.

Groceries Total 359.23
Whole Foods Market 93.28 (26%)
Trader Joe’s 89.16 (25%)
Wilson Farm 62.83 (17%)
Local Farm 59.36 (17%)
MARKET BASKET 39.82 (11%)
Open Meadow Farm (meat) 7.54 (2%)
Penzeys Spices 7.24 (2%)

Even though the budget was over the top in July, I learned some valuable lessons. I’m still affected by impulse buys, whether it’s at the grocery or DH clamoring for take-out. When I don’t follow my specific list, I get into trouble. It’s something I need to work on.

And secondly, even though the last few days burst the budget, I was eating good healthy food, so it really was worth it. Summer fruit is expensive but it’s good for you and that’s all that matters!

Happy August Budgeting!

Coconut Palm Sap/Syrup, Responsible & Sustainable, or Not?

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about coconut vinegar, and how healthy and awesome it is.

I was browsing on iHerb.com this morning, checking out items on my “wish list” and noticed the coconut vinegar product from Coconut Secret – on the summary page, they praise their product, claiming it’s low-glycemic and healthier than apple cider vinegar. The vinegar is made from the sap of the coconut palm tree.

In the back of my mind, I remembered something about palm sap or sugar not being sustainable, so I googled.

tropical traditons logo

I found the article from Tropical Traditions (whose products I just LOVE) and was reminded how truly UN-natural coconut palm sugar is.

Coconuts or Coconut Sugar – A Coconut Tree Cannot Produce Both!

If a young blossom from the coconut palm tree is emptied to gain its syrup, then that blossom will never create a coconut fruit. Please read their article, as it contains a lot more information that I’m sharing here.

After more research, I found the follow-up rebuttal from Coconut Secret disputing the Tropical Traditions claims, and arguing that once a coconut palm tree has been sapped, it will continue to give syrup for 20 years. They also maintain that the benefits of coconut nectar outweigh the benefits of a mature coconut.

…sap products offer a nutrient-rich array of amino acids, minerals, B and C vitamins, are low glycemic and have a nearly neutral pH.

So who’s right? If you believe Coconut Secret, there should ultimately be a balance of both worlds, using the sap as well as fully matured coconut for all benefits.

That sounds fine, until you begin converting the sap into sugar, and because of that, I’m on the side of Tropical Traditions.

First of all, I didn’t appreciate the “tone” of the Coconut Secret article. It was a little petty, suggesting that the Tropical Traditions owner had ulterior business motives and because TT owned the web domain coconutsugar.com, they were hiding future plans.

Seriously, wouldn’t TT be jumping on the coconut sugar bandwagon to sell more products if it was truly a sustainable, responsible product? Of course they would!

And I think that it’s brilliant that Tropical Traditions had the forethought to purchase the coconutsugar.com domain so no other coconut company could profit from it! I think they should forward the traffic to their article page not their cane sugar product page, where it goes now.

Coconut Sugar – Healthy, Responsible, Sustainable or Not?

I’m truthfully not against the time-honored tradition of extracting the coconut flower sap to produce “tuba,” which is used to make coconut vinegar and coconut vodka.

What’s distressing is the world has been convinced that coconut “sugar” is better than any other sugar (shades of agave nectar!) But really, coconut sugar is SUGAR, something that should be consumed in moderation. It’s not the new wonder food, {some reports are not convinced it’s glycemic load is as low as claimed or that it’s as healthy as claimed, since it’s got a big dose of fructose}

Increase in popularity means an increase in coconut palm sapping production. How can a process be healthy and sustainable if it’s goal is to be producing SUGAR!

And that, is where the real trouble lies. Consumers love new health foods (especially when Dr Oz promotes them), which eventually leads to cheaper mass-production and loss of sustainability and integrity. Nothing is 100% sustainable when greed and profit take precedence.

The key is moderation and variation in our food consumption!

I Like Tropical Traditions :)

So, bottom line, I’m supporting Tropical Traditions in this argument. I’ve been consuming their gold label virgin coconut oil (and coconut cream and shredded coconut) for a couple of months, and wow, there is a difference in quality and taste compared to other coconut oils I’ve used.

coconut water vinegar

I also just found out that they have their own coconut vinegar product, produced from coconut water, not from coconut palm sap! Their product is not distilled or pasteurized like most commercial vinegars, it’s sold in its raw state, complete with the mother, like Bragg’s apple cider vinegar. So cool!

On the other hand, I am not opposed to trying a Coconut Secret product also; their coconut vinegar and especially their coconut aminos look promising, as both are in a raw state, like the Tropical Traditions vinegar.

As for coconut sugar, I don’t think I’ll ever be using that product. We don’t consume that much sugar/sweeteners and when I do, I try to use sucanat, honey, or maple syrup, but we also keep normal everyday white cane sugar in the house for DH’s coffee and for my canning needs.

What I do believe is that the only way to true health is a reduction of sugar consumption. It doesn’t matter if it’s white cane sugar or coconut sugar. Sugar should be considered as a special treat or reward, like it was back in the “olden days” before it was mass-produced for massive profit.

(Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate link(s) for which I might receive a small referral reward for any purchases made after clicking the link.)

Crocodile Tears for Paula Deen

I just watched Paula Deen on the Today show, interviewed by Matt Lauer.

I wasn’t looking for the interview, I came upon it by chance, switching channels.

Let me say, first, I don’t really like Paula Deen. I think she and her family (sons) are fake and are very monetarily motivated.

With that said, I don’t fault Paula for past sins. Something she did 30 years ago doesn’t have anything to do with her now. People can change, and as we all age, we grow and sometimes regret our past.

But her actions after the fact have been troubling.

When I start to cry while tying to speak about something that’s difficult or emotional, I immediately tear up. Whether it’s just a few teardrops or an outpouring, there are actual wet tears.

Paula tried like mad to show actual tears, but failed. Yes, her face was scrunched up, and looked like she was deeply upset, but there was not ONE wet tear until the very end when I saw a tiny glistening in the corner of her eye.

It looked like a bid to fix her reputation and had nothing to do with truly being sorry. As they say, Paula, you’re sorry BECAUSE you got caught, not because of your actions.

My advice to Paula is to shut up. Stop talking about it, lay low and make your comeback in a few years. People always forget about stuff like this and allow celebrities to come back bigger than ever.

Library Monday

I was so lucky today! I wanted to re-borrow the JJ Virgin book “The Virgin Diet” so I could read about what I wasn’t ready to deal with a few months ago.

I know the copies at the library have been on hold, but surprisingly, when I checked the online catalog, there was one lone “available” copy at a library a few miles away, so I jumped in the shower, and drove over to see if I could grab it.

Long-story-short, I couldn’t initially find it, but with a little gentle nudging, the wonderful library woman ended up finding it behind the desk on the cart. Yay!

So, that’s #1 on my reading list, I’d like to see how it compares to the Clean Detox.

I’ve also been reading “Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution” by Kris Carr because I need all the help I can get to find clean recipes!

Until next week, Happy Monday to everyone! Keep reading and supporting your local library!

Wilmington Farmers Market

veggies I bought from the wilmington farmers market

Just returned from The Wilmington Farmer’s Market.

I bought from three farms for a total of $14.25. The prices were really reasonable and I’m so happy that the summer season markets are back!

From Nagog farm I spent $4.25 for red cabbage, scallions, and a large white onion (I was thrilled to see so many different vegetables especially the cabbage they told me they started growing them early in the greenhouse)

At Farmer Dave’s I spent $7.50 for six cucumbers, one big lettuce, chioggia beets with greens (For some reason I’ve been craving cucumbers and pickling cucumbers were wonderful to see there.)

At Gaouette farm I spent $2.50 for large bulb scallions (I love this small organic farm, I remember them from last year.)

Starting Detox Cleanse/Elimination Diet

I am So NOT a fan of fad diets, including diets that eliminate foods; I’m an even bigger non-fan of celebrity doctors that make tons of cash promoting a health fad…but I’ve been feeling really crappy lately and I’m desperate to try to figure out if I do indeed have some sort of food sensitivity, or at the very least, to reset my buttons and get my body feeling better again.

Originally, when I lost weight (3 years ago), I felt healthy, vibrant and alive! Slowly, as time moved forward, I began to feel sluggish, foggy, and depressed, probably worst than I felt before the weight loss. I felt like my energy was disappearing and I didn’t feel like “myself” anymore. I blamed being peri-menopausal.

I recently began reading my library copy of the book “Clean Gut: The Breakthrough Plan for Eliminating the Root Cause of Disease and Revolutionizing Your Health” (Dr. Alejandro Junger) and even though I’ve read other gluten/dairy-free and elimination diet books, the timing must have been perfect, because I felt a little hopeful.

I found the My Clean Program web site, with a helpful “welcome letter” and started to read, read, read. (*Note: membership is required (free) to access all the diet documentation.)

The “clean gut” diet led me to the original “cleanse” detox/elimination diet, which then led me to the Dr Oz 30 Day Detox Diet (details: Dr Oz Clean Detox manual)

Diets Compared

I initially liked the idea of Junger’s “clean gut” diet (the one from the book I was reading). It allowed eggs, other lean meats & fish, and tomatoes, but there was some concern, because the diet did eliminate most fruit (except berries), all grains/beans (but quinoa and lentils) and some veggies like yams, sweet potatoes and beets. It suggested a shake for breakfast, and solid meals for lunch and dinner.

The original “cleanse” detox diet eliminates eggs, tomatoes/nightshades, some fruits, but it did allow some gluten-free grains like buckwheat, millet, quinoa, and also allowed chickpeas, beans, etc. It suggested a shake for both breakfast and dinner, and a solid meal for lunch.

The Dr Oz (*gasp*) Detox is more “user-friendly” – of course they have to cater to all his followers, who need an easy diet fix! ha! It was much less structured, without elimination of any vegetables or fruit, and it suggested a shake for breakfast, and solid food for lunch and dinner. They unfortunately promote it as a super easy way to drop some weight, but that’s not really what the cleanse is about.

All programs completely remove all gluten, dairy, peanuts, and processed sweeteners, but the original “clean” allowed sweeteners like dates or figs, to be used sparingly.

I decided that the list of allowed foods in the original cleanse was much more doable, but I didn’t like being forced to “drink” breakfast and dinner meals, so I’m modifying to only one smoothie in the morning. I also do not want to use isolated protein powders, so that is an adjustment as well.

The last modification is that I’m not following their daily supplement advice, at least not right now. I’ll still be taking my usual vit D, Calcium, and fish oil, but I added 200mg magnesium before bedtime. I’m hoping it will help me sleep better. (thanks also to Angela for her magnesium advice, I’ll also be searching her web site for inventive blender breakfasts.)

Here’s the list of Edible Foods For Cleanse:
whole vegetables, leafy greens
brown rice, non-gluten grains
stevia
beans, lentils
green tea, yerba mate
wild fish, organic chicken & turkey
nuts, seeds, & nut butters
avocado & coconut
whole fruits & berries

Here are the exclusions:
dairy, eggs
gluten
processed sugar
soy
coffee, soda, alcohol
beef, pork (I’m still going to occasionally eat beefalo)
corn
tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes
bananas, strawberries, oranges, grapes

There is a lot more detail in the downloadable Clean manual.

The most difficult part is giving up dairy and gluten, ha! Sunday, as I was deciding to try the diet, I had just taken a fresh-baked loaf of bread out of the oven! What a big change this will be for me!

Day 3 Feelings

So here I am, Day Three, of the cleanse.

I’m still trying to feel my way around, and I’m sure I’m not doing things perfectly, but there’s 21 days, so I’ll get better as time moves forward.

I need to get more organized about meal planning, especially making grains/beans ahead of time. I can’t rely on bread-pizza night or fried eggs as a quick go-to dinner anymore. I know I’m not eating enough greens and veggies, especially with dinner. If ONE benefit comes out of this, it’ll be that I learned to better manage my ingredients and create more true-blue healthy vegetarian meals.

It’s also been scary because I realized that I am extremely caught-up in food and it makes me sad that there is a possibility of a dairy or gluten sensitivity. I think that is what stopped me in the past from trying an elimination diet. The fear of finding answers, answers that will be difficult to deal with.

I am keeping a detailed journal, and also keeping an open-mind.

Day one, I was ready to give up! I think it was due to feeling overwhelmed and disorganized. Day two started very dark and depressing, but it worked its way out with a good old fashioned cry. LOL. Nothing like a blast of cleansing tears!

And here, Day 3, I feel good. I’m trying to “rate” my days feelings with a #1-10. Today was a 7. I’d like to believe that my rating system is going to adjust itself, as a “7” in 10 days might feel more like a “10” today. Ha!

Believe me, I’m not fooling myself, thinking that the most difficult part is over. I’ve prepared myself for a lot of doubt and depression bubbling up, which will tempt me to give up…but I trust I’ll have the strength to remain diligent to reach my light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel goals: energy, clarity and happiness.

Library Monday (No Love for Gwyneth)

I promised my buddy Angela from Test Kitchen Tues that I’d review the new Gwyneth Paltrow “It’s All Good” cookbook I borrowed from the library.

Well the book was due back to the library, but unfortunately, there is no review.

I tried, I really tried to remain impartial, but there was so much extra “stuff” clouding my judgement of the book, that I thought it best to return it and possibly re-borrow it at a later date.

But here are my initial observations.

The book is full of beautiful photos…. of Gwyneth.

Gwyneth in shorts holding a tray of eggs. Gwyneth snuggled in a blanket. Gwyneth (wearing shorts again) breaking open an avocado. Close-up of Gwyneth eating a frozen dessert pop. Get the picture? It’s all about Gwyneth and how wonderfully billowy and blonde (w/soft-focus lens) she looks after eating all this wonderful food. {{sigh}}

I just couldn’t get passed her ego, so back to the library it went. Maybe in a couple of months, I’ll borrow it again.

What else is happening in the world of books this week?

Well I thought it was going to be a slow Monday, but I ended up at three different libraries! Yes, I know, I have an addiction problem, I can’t help myself!

I picked up the new Sherri Brooks Vinton preserving book “Put ‘Em Up Fruit” – the sequel to her awesome “Put ‘Em Up” book.

I also picked up another book I requested, “Clean Gut” by Alejandro Junger, plus I found Kitchen Gardening For Beginners on the “new” table. I have heard about the author, and I’m curious. He is also Gwyneth’s doctor, but I’m trying not to hold that against him ;)

And a boatload of other books:

“Crazy sexy kitchen” by Kris Carr (I think I borrowed this before, but it caught my eye on the new shelf again)

“Living with less” by Mary Lambert (also on the new shelf, it’s tag line is how to downsize to 100 personal possessions.)

“Canal House Cooks every day” by Hamilton and Hirsheimer (this is one heavy book! And it also looks intimidating, but it promises to be an “everyday” simple cookbook)

“Diet for a small planet” Frances Moore Lappe (I have heard about this book for years, and it was mentioned again in the “China Study Cookbook” so I’m finally gonna check it out)

My father’s daughter by Gwenyth Paltrow (an old fave; what a difference between this book and the new one! I could barely find any photos of her, most were big beautiful colorful plates of food, which, HEL-LO, is what a cookbook should be)

“Cooking in the moment” by Andrea Riesling (I saw this old fave on the shelf and couldn’t resist it again. This book screams spring and summer to me with so many awesome farm-fresh recipes. It’s also the first time I heard the phrase “Friends, Don’t Let Friends Eat Imported Shrimp” and that really stuck with me!)

“Melissa’s everyday cooking” by Cathy Thomas from Melissa’s Produce (I heard about this book from somewhere recently but can’t remember. Glad I found it on the shelf.)

“Glamping with Mary Jane” by Maryjane Butters (this book looks like a hoot. Glamping=Glamor Camping!! It’s got some DIY and a few recipes.)

“Latin d’lite” by Ingrid Hoffman (on the new book shelf, at first glance, the recipes looked yummy)

“The I love Trader Joe’s vegetarian cookbook” (I’ve seen books from “I Love TJ’s” series before, but never read one. With big bold photos, I couldn’t pass it up, also on new shelf.)

“The great vegan bean book” by Kathy Hester (Also found on the new bookshelf, I’m always looking for new bean books, and this one is brand spanking new!)

“The sprouted kitchen” by Sara Forte (another old fave, and another that screams farm-fresh summer to me)

Phew, I could barely carry my book bag into the house! In the next few weeks, I’ll be sure to post some new book reviews.

Garden Diary – It’s Hard Not to be Discouraged

Well my garden is a mess, and I’m feeling discouraged, which makes me not want to plant anymore.

There is a critter eating all my greens. I think it’s a chipmunk(s)

  • My peas are almost stumps, I think in a day or two they will probably be gone.
  • I had such hopes for the Asian greens this year. My husband and I build a little covering with coat hangers, scrap metal, and a roll of fiberglass screen to keep out the white moths (which bring the green worms) but they are clearly being nibbled by the critter.
  • And even my beet greens, which I thought were doing well, now seem to be disappearing to nubs.

Looking at the positive, the snap peas planted in a large recycling bin are doing quite well, so that should make me happy right?

I’m not. I’m in a garden funk.

My mother-in-law gave us a few of her excess plants, and all I’ve planted were 3 eggplants. I have a couple tomatoes and red peppers to plant, but I just feel sad. I’m not sure what’s wrong exactly, maybe the weather? I’m just feeling discouraged.

Newburyport Farmers Market

For the past couple of years, I’ve been looking forward to experiencing the Newburyport Farmers Market in Newburyport, MA. I am on their e-mailing list and it always seemed like an exciting market with lots of vendors, even in the colder months. Unfortunately, it’s about 35 miles from home, a little too far for a casual Sunday drive.

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to get my chance to visit the market on the way to visit Maine. It was incredible and I wish it was closer, as I’d be dropping by more often!

Heron Pond Farm – 1lb potatoes $2.50 and small lettuce for $2
New Hampshire Mushroom Company – $4.80 for blue oyster mushroom at $16.99lb
Farmer Dave’s – $4.50 for mix-your-own-bag of baby greens for $12/lb
Arrowhead Family Farm – $3 for huge bundle of green onion tops